Chapter 9 · Questions · page 42 of 68
What is PEMDAS, and does multiplication come before division?
Short answerPEMDAS is the order of operations: parentheses, exponents, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Multiplication and division are equal, so you do them left to right, and the same goes for addition and subtraction.
levelPre-algebra
standard6.EE.A.1
practiceOrder of operations
The letters suggest six separate steps, but there are four. M and D share a step, and A and S share a step. Inside each shared step you work left to right, which is why 12 ÷ 3 × 2 is 8 and not 2.
How to use it
- Parentheses first, innermost out.
- Exponents next.
- Multiplication and division, left to right.
- Addition and subtraction, left to right.
Example
Where it goes wrong
- Doing every multiplication before any division because M comes first in the word.
- Adding before subtracting for the same reason: 8 - 3 + 2 is 7, not 3.